Big Lake near Saint Croix Falls: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Big Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. The water sits 968 feet up. Around 64 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Around 1.1 miles of margin, front to back. Saint Croix Falls lies 6.5 miles from the water. After that come Taylors Falls at 7.1 miles and Luck at 9.1 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Big Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Polk County records list brown trout, rainbow trout, northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Take Big Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 10°F and July at about 70°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Big Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Twin Lakes, 0.9 miles out. None of that is settled for Big Lake in what we hold.